


Take me back, but with you.

by Agayfish



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Banter, Communication, Dialogue Heavy, First Dates, Like, M/M, Mentions of Sexual Content, Mentions of Substance Abuse, Mentions of homophobia, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, TIGER IS A THING, They literally have the kids and marriage talk in this, They talk, Tooth Rotting Fluff, i think, pure fluff, so is baby, theyre so Soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 15:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22497988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agayfish/pseuds/Agayfish
Summary: Carlos has something to show TK. Things get deep. They also go on a date and fall off the swings at a playground.OrCarlos takes TK to do something he never got to do as a teenager.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star)/TK Strand
Comments: 22
Kudos: 244





	Take me back, but with you.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote and posted this in one sitting. I went through Walls by Louis Tomlinson 3 times and Fine Line by Harry Styles 3 times. My heads hurts. I can barely see what I’m typing. Expect minor edits to be made tomorrow. Enjoy my favorite boys being soft! oh and don’t ask about the timeline because i don’t have an explanation for it

“Come on, we’re almost there. I promise it’s gonna be good.” 

They had just finished their middle-of-the-night-run, both tired after an eventful day but Carlos wouldn’t give up on whatever it was that could be so important. 

“It better be, my legs are dead.” TK said, dragging his feet behind him. 

“Ta da!” Carlos motioned to a large oak tree in the middle of the park. It was pretty dark outside, it was late and the park was completely empty. 

“A tree?”

“Look closer, see the hearts?” 

“Oh.” 

TK ran his fingers on the outline of the carvings, they had something similar in New York but with locks on a wall. 

“Yeah, people, usually teenagers come here and carve their initials in the bark. I’ve never had anyone to do it with but I kinda do now and I just thought that I’d be something to reflect back on when we’re older.” 

Carlos blurted out the last part with a wince. 

He didn’t want to push. The expression on TK’s face said other things though. 

“That’s probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.” He had that look in his eyes, the one that made Carlos heart flutter every single time it was directed at him. 

He pulled out his pocket knife, an appreciative smile on his face. 

“Do you want to do it?”

“Yeah, hand it over.”

“Watch your hands, it’s not as easy as you’d think.”

“Speaking from experience? Thought you hadn’t done this before.”

“Watched a few friends do it and they cut themselves every time, there weren’t exactly a lot of options here, not that people liked it anyway.”

“Yeah, I think had it a little easier. I think New York is generally a little more accepting. Anyone give you shit about it after you came out?” 

The look of understanding and sincerity on TK’s face was slightly overwhelming. In a good way, he told himself. 

“Not really, I had two older brothers that were pretty huge. No one wanted to mess with them so they mostly left me alone. I was pretty young when I came out though, maybe 14? And people definitely knew before I did.”

“14? I didn’t tell my dad until 17, I couldn’t even imagine everyone knowing even then. I’m proud of you, you know that right?”

“I’m proud of you too, you’ve made it so far. Want to tell me anything about school in New York? Did they give you shit?”

“Oh yeah. Senior year was hell. I bulked up pretty quickly after that though, god, I should show you some of the pictures. I was such a twink! No wonder they bothered me.”

“That doesn’t make their actions valid though.”

“I know. Collage was when things got really bad. With the um, substance abuse? I don’t really like talking about it but therapy has really helped me open up more. I want you to know me. But I kinda fell in with the wrong crowd and things just went downhill from there. It took a while before I got out of that rabbit hole and started the academy but it was tough.” 

TK looked a little shocked at his ramble so Carlos hurried to reassure him.

“It means a lot. Thank you. Want me to talk now?”

The breath of relief confirmed his thought. 

“Please do. You said something about brothers?”

Carlos smiled and looked down at his feet, kicking at some gravel on the ground. It wasn’t his favorite topic. 

“Yeah, they still live in Houston on the same street we were raised on. My parents live a couple houses down so I still see them quite a bit. They’re two and three years older than me, and I have a nephew on the way. Benji’s married, no kids yet. Luis isn’t but his girlfriend is due in April-“ He paused, delaying what was about to come. “-I definitely have the worst relationship with my parents out of the three of us, they just never got over the gay thing. My mom actually cried which was-“ He cringed, thinking back at when he sat his family down at the kitchen table that one day. “-not great for a 14 year old sexually confused Carlos. Guess she never got over that I wasn’t gonna give her grandkids.”

“You don’t want kids?” TK seemed surprised at that.

“Oh I do. She just thinks it’s impossible because I like guys.”

“Huh.” He narrowed his eyes at Carlos. 

“Yeah, nice talk, are you actually going to start now?”

That brought him out of his thoughts. Carlos couldn’t help but to admire how the light made TK look, the urge to kiss him almost overwhelming. 

“Right! You’re very distracting you know, validating my feelings like that. What do I even write?”

He laughed, a carefree laugh that made Carlos smile right along with him. 

“Most people do a heart and then first and last name initials but you can do whatever you want to.”

“Okay. Turn around and sit down.”

“Wow, bossy much?”

“You know you love it baby.”

“Maybe I do, Tiger, maybe I do.”

He did as he was told, and sat down, leaning against the tree. They sat in comfortable silence for a while before TK spoke up. 

“You can keep talking, I don’t mind. I like hearing your voice.”

“You do huh? Never assumed you’d be so soft, guess I was wrong. On the other hand I also thought you were a top and I was definitely wrong about that.”

“Hey! Liking what I like doesn’t make me your bitch.” TK scoffed. 

“Never said it did baby, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He rolled his eyes. 

“What’s your last name again?”

“You should know, it’s gonna be yours too some day.”

Carlos froze for a second. Damn his impulses. He relaxed when he heard TK’s giggle. 

“Uh uh, we’re either doing hyphens or you’re taking mine.”

His panic was replaced with amusement, were they really having the marriage conversation three weeks into their relationship? He snorted. 

“Carlos Strand. Carlos Reyes-Strand. Carlos Strand-Reyes. Okay, we’ll do yours. It fits.”

“You do realize that we’ve known each other for like, three weeks right?”

“I’m aware, you just feel right. I can stop if it freaks you out?” 

“It’s fine. You feel right too, you fit in my life way to easily than you should. I don’t mind, it should probably freak me out and definitely would if it was anyone other than you though.”

“Yeah. I just don’t want to overwhelm you.”

“I’m the type of person to fall fast and hard, and so are you. We’re fucked but at least it’s mutual. Could be worse. You could have been straight.”

“Ew. You ever done that? Fall for a straight guy?” Carlos grimaced. 

“My childhood best friend. I didn’t even realize until a year after we lost touch.” He grimaced right back, not that Carlos could see if with his back turned. 

“Oh yeah, same. I knew him for 12 years and we were inseparable, then his family moved to LA. I never came out to him though, it’s just so much scarier with someone like that you know? He was always so touchy and cuddly and the thought of him stopping that just because of my sexual orientation was terrifying.”

“It’s always worse with people you’ve know your whole life.”

Carlos made a sound of approval. 

“I talk to him occasionally, he’s good. Married. Couple kids.”

“That’s scary, people our age having kids. I’m nowhere ready for that commitment.”

“Right? It’s horrifying! Being responsible for a tiny human that completely depends on me when I still forget to feed myself? Not that exciting at the moment.”

TK nodded. Before backing up, admiring his work. 

“Okay. I think I’m done. You can stand up now.”

He ran his fingers over the somewhat sharp edges of the bark. He couldn’t even hold back the grin if he wanted to. 

“That looks so pretty! No cuts?”

“No cuts.” TK confirmed. 

“Okay. Wanna go home? I’m starving.”

“Yeah. What time is it? I left my phone in the car.”

“3:34 a.m, tired?”

“Very, food sounds good though. Know any good places?”

“You asking me on a date, Tiger?” He grinned back at his boyfriend. 

“So what if I am?” TK defended. 

“Then I’d say yes.”

“Come on, I have an idea.”

Before he knew it Carlos was being dragged in the general direction of the playground, more importantly, the swings. 

“The swings? Really? You’re a child TK.” His tone lacked any heat, it was just pure delight at how much he already cared for him. 

“It’s fun! Come on old man.”

“I’m 9 days older than you, shut up.”

“I bet you can’t get higher than me!”

“Oh you’re on.”

They spent way too long on the swings, both trying to swing higher than the other. They might have ended up on the rubbery mat under the swings twice each but nothing could ruin his mood now. 

They were walking back to Carlos car, hand in hand, when TK started talking again. 

“You know, I never had this. As a kid I mean. I grew up seeing all my straight friends going on dates and making out at parties and I always wanted that. I was so jealous that I couldn’t be like them. Be normal. But now I do. It might be a little later than 16 but it couldn’t be at a better time than now. Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.” 

“There’s nothing wrong with living your teenage years or doing stuff you’d consider ‘childish’ for an adult to do now. Most queer kids don’t get to have that. So we do the things we would do back then, now.” 

“Why do you always know exactly how I feel?” 

The watery laughter that came after had Carlos leaning into his side and looking him with a soft smile. 

“I like to think that we’re more similar than you think.”

They reached the car, Carlos let go of his hand and got in. He started it and turned the heat on. Texas might have been known for it’s warm weather but it wasn’t especially warm outside now. The radio started and some old song by My Chemical Romance started playing. 

“Oh god. Not that song. Jesus Christ.-“ Carlos raised an eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation. “-There was an emo phase. This was my favorite song.”

“I could definitely picture you crying over Fall Out Boy.” 

“Excuse me, it was Panic! At The Disco not Fall Out Boy.” 

He seemed almost offended. 

“My apologies. Please tell me there are pictures though.” He said as he backed up and started driving towards his favorite place to eat. 

“My dad swore to burn all evidence after I threatened to show everyone he knew a picture of him with a mullet, so I doubt it. Sorry to disappoint.” 

Carlos scoffed. The drive over was spent in comfortable silence and was over fairly quickly. TK was activity struggling to keep his eyes open. 

“What do you want to eat? Their burgers are fantastic but very filling. I’m thinking a burrito. Maybe a milkshake?”

“Whatever you want is fine, I trust your expertise. Definitely a milkshake. Strawberry.”

The drive through was completely empty and therefore their food was done quickly. He handed TK the bag and payed. He glanced at TK as he took a sip from one of the milkshakes followed by a bite of the burrito. At first it was just small sighs of content but soon he was moaning like a pornstar. 

“Keep moaning like that and I won’t make it home without crashing the car.”

“Oh really?” TK said. 

“Shut up. They’re not that good.” He rolled his eyes. 

“They definitely are.” TK countered. 

“God you’re an idiot.”

“I’m your idiot though.”

“That’s so cliché, but yeah, you are.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank youuuuu <3 Comments and Kudos make my day!


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